CoNE draws Govt’s attention over lingering AIDS cases

IMPHAL, Dec 3
With many dying of Advanced HIV Diseases (AHD) despite considerable progress in providing HIV care and treatment to people living with HIV, Community Network for Empowerment (CoNE) has pointed out the urgent need to look into the existing gaps and has drawn the attention of the concerned authority in this regard.
As per a statement, CoNE president RK Nalinikanta addressed media persons at its Keishamthong Hodam Leirak Machin, Sega Road office on Friday and informed that despite the progress made by the Government (both the Union and State) in providing access to HIV testing and Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) (a cocktail of antivirals drugs that suppress the virus) to people living with HIV to prevent AIDS deaths, people are still succumbing to AIDS-related illnesses such as TB, pneumocystis pneumonia, cryptococcal meningitis, CMV, and toxoplasmosis.
“We are concerned that PLHIV in Manipur currently do not have access to the complete WHO recommended package of screening tests, prophylaxis, and treatments needed to reduce deaths due to AHD. ART centres do not have the tools to screen for life-threatening bacterial and fungal infections”, he added while demanding the State Government to ensure that screening with TB-LAM and CrAg Cryptococcal Antigen Lateral Flow Test be carried out systematically at all ART centres in people living with HIV with CD4 below 200.
"More concerning is that the Government has failed to provide prophylaxis treatment to these patients as there is no lifesaving medicines available with Manipur State AIDS Control Society (MSACS) to treat patients with AHD", he said and further appealed to the concerned authority to provide lifesaving drugs for AHD patients at all ART centres or include these medicines in the State Essential Medicine list of the State Government so that the National Health Mission Manipur could procure the medicines and make them available at ART centres.
While highlighting the UNAIDS “95-95-95” strategy, RK Nalinikanta said that the Government has failed to address the issue of morbidity and mortality of those people covered under the 95-95-95 strategy.
Moreover, the viral load test which was earlier available in the State is no longer available, he added.
Nalinikanta also pointed out the need to ensure that all PLHIVs on ART can access CD4 testing and not just at the time of ART initiation and that all PLHIVs on ART are able to access viral load testing as recommended by the WHO.
While reacting to the announcement made by Chief Minister N Biren Singh that ART medicines will be delivered at the doorstep of every PLHIV, the CoNE President said that there are other priorities to be upheld at this point such as the problem of routine investigations at health care facilities, regular break down of CD machines and irregularity in its functioning and most importantly the issue of disruption in viral load testing of PLHIVs.
“If the Government, breaks all confidentiality of a patient and provides ART to them at their doorsteps when they are reluctant to come to ART centres for fear of discrimination and stigma, the initiative will generate more stigma and discrimination. We need to take consent of the patient before delivering the ART at the doorstep as consent is the main focus area of the HIV AIDS Act and if the government breaks the confidentiality of a patient, the consequences will be harsh", he stated.
He further appealed to the Government to have a series of meetings involving all stakeholders including the community before initiating the doorstep delivery of ART medicines.
RK Nalinikanta also informed that all progression, gaps and challenges in the HIV program of the state will be submitted to the Chief Minister on a quarterly basis by CoNE.